Page 77 of One More Yule Log

“Here he is.” Fran led Ben down from upstairs about fifteen minutes later. The wine was breathing, the puddings would be done soon, the potatoes were crisping on their second cook, and they were almost ready.

Ben came to him and stole a kiss. “Hey, love. It smells amazing in here.”

“Hey. Thank you. I poured you some wine. Baby monitor on?”

“It is. I put them in the same bed. I don’t care what that nurse said, they want to be together.” God, Gray was fairly sure if Ben saw that nurse again, he’d bite her.

“Separation is key,” she’d gone on and on. “Like littermate syndrome in dogs.”

Dogs. Ben had looked like he’d strangle her.

“Is it time to light the Yule log?” he asked. They had the gas fire, but they’d made a little yule log they could burn in a wee brazier. It was so cute. “We all need to write our wishes.”

“Oh, cool. I’ll write some for the babies, okay?” Liv was proving to be one hell of a big sister.

“Sounds good, baby girl.” Ben took a deep breath, kissed Gray’s temple. “I don’t know that I deserve any more wishes, lover. I have everything I’ve ever asked for.”

Gray nodded seriously, staring into his husband’s eyes. His best Christmas gift ever. “Then we wish for more of the same, baby. Count our blessings instead of asking for more.”

Ben laughed, then kissed him again. “Agreed. Happy, honey?” Those bright blue eyes slid over to the elaborate swiss cake roll flavored Yule log. It was frosted in snowy white, and was two logs, stacked together in a perpendicular for the twins. “Even if you have to make one more Yule log every year?”

“Especially because of that,” Gray agreed. “I have all the help I need to get them done. You and Liv and Fran and Alice. I can’t wait to eat it.”

“Well, this is the first year we haven’t had to eat…thirty of them.”

“Daddy! So mean!”

Gray winked at Liv. “All bakers have to test their recipes, right?”

“Right.” She nodded but stopped short of sticking out a tongue or putting her hands on her hips. Smart girl.

Gray turned the potatoes out of the pan, then got the puddings out of the oven.

Ben grabbed their Yule log and opened the back door to light it up. “Okay, y’all. Blessed Yule. Let’s set stuff on fire.”

Gray took his wish out to toss it on the fire, but like he’d told Ben. He knew what he wanted from life from now on. He had it. All he had to do was hold on with both hands.

End